Elevated support for cabinet for automatic washing machines for accessibility to and servicing of drive mechanism for machine

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for supporting the cabinet of an automatic washing machine above the motor, transmission and pump of the machine, for accessibility to these parts for inspection and repair. A base plate for the tub, clothes container and agitator of the machine is supported in vertically spaced relation with respect to the base of the cabinet and forms a support for the motor, transmission and pump for the machine, which depend from the base plate. The base plate has at least one lateral extension for supporting the cabinet when raised above its base and turned relative to said base. In order to do this, the cabinet is released from its base and raised above the base plate for the tub and clothes container and turned relative to its base and lowered to be supported on the extension. One or two extensions may be provided. A retractable support for the cabinet is pivoted to the base and held in a retracted or extended position by detent recesses and a spring. In the extended position of the retractable support, this support has supporting engagement with the bottom of the cabinet. When the repairs have been completed, the retractable support is released and moved inwardly toward the base plate and the entire casing is lifted above its stationary support and turned into alignment with the base for the cabinet and secured thereto.

United States Patent 91 Czech et al.

[ ELEVATED SUPPORT FOR CABINET FOR AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES FOR ACCESSIBILITY TO AND SERVICING OF DRIVE MECHANISM FOR MACHINE [75] inventors: James 1. Czech, Stevensville; Roy C.

- Oakley, Jr., Coloma, both of Mich.

[73] Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich.

[22] Filed: Nov. 24, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 309,522

52 US. cl. 68/3 R, 68/233, 68/23.7 51 rm. Cl. D06f 39/12 581 Field of Search.....;.... 68/3 R, 13 R, 23.3, 23.6,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,202,152 5/1940 Hurley 68/3 R X 2,712,228 7/l955 Lloyd-Kessel 68/3 R Primary Examiner-William I. Price Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson 5 7 ABSTRACT Apparatus for supporting the cabinet of an automatic [451 Mar. 26, 1974 base of the cabinet and forms a support for the motor,

transmission and pump for the machine, which depend from the base plate. The base plate has at least one lateral extension for supporting the cabinet when raised above its base and turned relative to said base. Inorder to do this, the cabinet is released from its base and raised above the base plate for the tub and clothes container and turned relative to its base and lowered to be supported on the extension. One or two extensions may be provided. A retractable support for the cabinet is pivoted to the base and held in a retracted or extended position by detent recesses and a spring. in the extended position of the retractable support, this support has supporting engagement with the bottom of the cabinet. When the repairs have been completed, the retractable support is released and moved inwardly toward the base plate and the entire casing is lifted above its stationary support and turned into alignment with the base for the cabinet and secured thereto.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing F igures PAIENIEBmes um 3L798L981 sum 1 or 2 I ELEVATED SUPPORT FOR CABINET FOR AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES FOR ACCESSIBILITY TO AND SERVICING OF DRIVE MECHANISM FOR MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention I This invention relates generally to elevated supports for the cabinets of automatic washing machines rendering the drive mechanism for the machine accessible for inspection and repair.

Prior Art The US. Patents to Lloyd-Kessel, 2,7l2,228, and to H. N. Shaw, 3,113,004, disclose washing machines in which the operative parts of the machine are accessible for inspection or repair. In US Pat. No. 2,712,228, accessibility to the operative parts of the machine is attained by the use of removable panels, while in US. Pat. No. 3,1 13,004, the entire cabinet for the machine is removable. In the machines of both of these patents, considerable effort is required to remove the panels of the machine to get at the operating parts of the machine, and to remove the entire cabinet of the machine, which sometimes is necessary in present-day household machines, and requiresa considerable amount of space in which to work and a great deal of time and effort to prepare the machine for inspection or repair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to the cabinet and support structure therefor in which the cabinet can be lifted and supported in its lifted position to render the operating mechanism for the machine accessible for inspection and repair.

This is attained by supporting the tub, clothes container and agitator on a base plate supported in vertically spaced relation with respect to the base for the cabinet of the machine. A motor and control drive mechanism for the machine are totally or partially mounted within the space between the base for the cabinet and the base plate for the tub, clothes container and agitator for the machine. In the preferred embodiment the motor, transmission, clutch and pump all depend from the base plate. The base vplate has at least one lateral extension extending outwardly therefrom forming a support for the cabinet when released from its base and lifted upwardly to be supported on the lateral extension. The base plate also has a movable extension movable into position to solidly support the cabinet above the base for the machine and retractable along the base plate when the repairs are completed, and it is again desired to lower the cabinet to its base and bolt the cabinet thereto.

An advantage of the present invention is that when it is desired to service or inspect the operative parts of the machine, no functional components of the machine need be removed or disconnected to render the'operating parts accessible.

A further advantage of the present invention is that by raising the cabinet and supporting the cabinet on the base plate for the tub, clothes container and agitator, the operating mechanism for the machine is readily accessible from all sides of the machine for servicing.

A still further advantage of the invention is that the cabinet may be released from its base by releasing a series of connecting screws and can readily be lifted and supported on the base plate for the tub, clothes container and agitator by one person Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a generally diagrammatic cut-away perspective view of an automatic washing machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a generally diagrammatic perspective view of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1 showing the cabinet in its lifted and supported position supported on the base plate for the tub and clothes container of the washing machine. i

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating a retractable support forming a third support point for the cabinet of the washing machine.

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the support shown in FIG. 3-, showing the support pivoted to the base for tub, clothes container and agitator of the machine.

FIG. 5 is a schematic top plan view showing the position of the cabinet relative to the base plate for the tub, clothes container and agitator of the machine and showing the supports on the base plate.

FIG. 6 is a schematic top plan view showing the cabinet in its lifted and supported position, affording accessibility to the drive mechanism for the machine.

FIG. 7 is a schematic top plan view of a modified form in which our invention can be constructed, in

which one of the stationary supports on the base for the cabinet has been dispensed with; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the cabinet supported in an elevated position by the use of two rather than three base supports.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1 of the drawings, we have diagrammatically shown an automatic washing machine of a conventional household type in which a tub 10 has a clothes container or spin basket 11 contained therein, and an agitator 12' is contained in the spin basket and mounted for oscillatable movement with respect thereto and for spinning movement with the basket upon the extraction of water from the clothes in the basket. The tub l0, spin basket 11 and agitator l2 and the drive mechanism therefor are enclosed in a cabinet 13. The cabinet 13 is shown as being generally rectangular in form having side wallsMband 14d, back walls 140 and front wall 14a detachably mounted on upright flanges 15 of a base 16 as by screws 16. The screws 16 may be self tapping screws of aconventional form and extend through the walls 141;, 14c and 14d and flanges 15 to detachably secure the cabinet 13 to thebase 16. The cabinet 13 also includes a top l9 having a hinged lid 20 openable to afford access to a clothes receiving opening 21 in a tub ring 2-2 extending about the tub and over a corresponding opening in the spin basket 1 l. The cabinet 13 has a timer dial 23 connected to a timer 25 and mounted on front wall 14a near the top of the cabinet beneath the top 19. Suitable. wiring 25a connects the timer 25 to the motor 29 and other electrically operated devices of the machine and is sufficiently slack to accommodate lifting of the cabinet to the position shown in FIG. 2, without disconnecting the wiring from the timer 25 or the electrically operated devices. The timer dial 23 and timer 25 may be in any desired location and are shown in their present location for illustrative purposes only.

Supported above the cabinet base 16 on vibration damping spring and rod assemblies 26 is a base plate 27 forming a support for the tub 10, spin basket 11 and agitator 12 in a conventional manner. The base plate 27 may be a cast aluminum base plate or may be made from any other suitable material. The base plate 27 may be suitably supported on any vibration damping spring assemblies which provide support for the base plate 27 from the cabinet base 16 and which absorb vibration during spinning movement of the spin basket 11. The assemblies 26 form no part of the present invention and therefore need not herein be shown or described further. The base plate 27 also forms a support for a motor 29 and a drive control mechanism or transmission generally indicated by reference numeral 30 which may also include a clutch and control mechanisrn, as well as drive mechanism for oscillatably driving the agitator 12 or spinning the spin basket 11 and releasing the agitator to freely spin with the spin basket. The pump 31 for removing wash or rinse water from the tub at the termination-of a washing or a rinsing operation is also supported to depend from the base plate 27 and is connected to drain (not shown) through a drain hose 33. It should be understood that the motor 29, drive control mechanism 30, and pump 31 can be mounted in any convenient manner between the cabinet base 16 and the base plate 27 and need not necessarily depend from the base plate 27 as shown. The cabinet 13 also forms a mounting for a suitable mixing valve (not shown) of a conventional construction, supplying the tub 10 with hot, cold or a mixture of hot and cold water as required for a particular washing or rinsing operation. The mixing valve is connected with the tub 10 through an inlet hose 35 connected with a con-' ventional anti-siphoning device 34 mounted on tub ring 22. The hoses 33 and 3'5 are sufficiently slack to accommodate lifting and turning of the cabinet to the position shown in FIG. 2 without disconnecting the hoses.

Referring now in particular to the support for the cabinet 13 in the elevated position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the base plate 27 is shown in FIGS. 1, S and 6 as having two lugs 36a and 36b spaced outwardly from the body of the base plate 27 and extending upwardly therefrom, to extend along the outsides of the right angled walls 14d and 14a respectively of the cabinet 13, and thereby retain the cabinet 13 to the base plate to be supported thereon.

Between the lugs 36a and 36b and shown as being spaced equal distances from the lugs is a lug 37 in the form of a boss forming a pivotal support for a movable support rod 39. As shown in FIG. 4, the support rod 39 has a right angled inner end portion 40 extending through the lug 37 and pivotally mounted therein. A spring 41 extends about the right angled end 40 and is interposed between the bottom of the lug 37 and a washer 43, which may maintain the spring under sufti' cient compression to hold a portion of the rod 44, extending at right angles to the right angled portion 40,

into engagement with one of a pair of angularly spaced detent recesses 45and 46 formed in the lug 37. When the rod 39 is in its operative support position shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, it will be maintained in engagement with detent recess 45 by spring 41 positioning the rod to extend outwardly of the base to form a support for the cabinet 13. When it is desired to retract the rod '39, it is merely lifted out of its detent recess against the spring 41 and angularly moved to the other detent recess 46 supporting the rod in a retracted position within the cabinet 13 to extend along the base plate 27, as shown in FIG. 5. The rod 39 is shown as being stepped from the right angled portion 40 and extending parallel thereto, and as having an upright outer end portion 47 extending upwardly along the outside of the cabinet 13,

to retain the cabinet in elevated relation with respect to the base 16, and thereby provide free access to the motor 29, transmission 30 and pump 31 from all sides of the cabinet.

When access to the motor, transmission and pump is required for inspection or repair of these mechanisms, it is merely necessary to release the cabinet from the base 16 by taking out the screws 17, lift the cabinet above the level of the tops of the lugs 36 and then turn it horizontally to position the two right angled walls and 14d of the cabinet above the lugs 36b and 36a respectively. The cabinet may-then be lowered to be supported on the lugs. The rod 39 may then be moved outwardly into engagement with its detent recess 45 to position the upright end 47 thereof along the outside of rear wall 140 of the cabinet. The cabinet will then be firmly held in an elevated position and free access may be had to the drive mechanism and pump supsended from the base plate 27 from all sides of the cabinet.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, we have schematically shown a modified form in which our invention may be carried out in which the cabinet 13 is supported in the elevated position on the base plate 27 on two supports, one of which is retractable. In this form of the invention a lug 48 extends outwardly and upwardly of the base plate 27 and forms a support and retainer for wall 14a of the cabinet 13 and retains the cabinet from outward movement relative to the base plate 27. A movable support rod 49, like the rod 39, is pivotally mounted on a lug 50in the same manner the rod 39 is pivotally mounted on the lug 37 and is movable from its retracted position shown in FIG. 7 to an extended cabinet supporting position shown in FIG. 8. The rod 49 has an upstanding end 51 engageable with the outer side of the'opposite wall 14c of the cabinet 13 from the wall 140 engaged by the upright lug 48. When the cabinet is in its elevated position and lowered to be supported on the lug 48, it is also moved in contact with a bearing projection 53 of the tub ring 22.

In the operation of lifting the cabinet, it is first lifted and lowered to be supported on the ing 48 and moved to contact wall 14d of the cabinet 13 with the projection 53. The movable support 49 is then pivoted outwardly into position to have supporting engagement with the wall 140 with the upstanding end 51 in position to extend upwardly along the wall 140 of the cabinet a distance sufficient to retain thecabinet 13 on the support 49. In this position, as shown in FIG. 8, a three point support in effect is provided for the cabinet 13 by lug 48, movable support 49 and projection 53. By supporting the cabinet on the base plate 27 in elevated relation with respect to the base/16 of the cabinet, the

lows:

1. In an automatic washing machine,

a base,

a cabinet supported on said base and detachably secured thereto,

a tub mounted within said cabinet,

a clothes container supported within said tub,

an agitator within said clothes container,

a support means including a base plate supporting said tub, clothes container and agitator in vertically spaced relation with respect to said base,

a motor, and drive control mechanism driven therefrom mounted between said support means and said base, said drive control mechanism connected for oscillatably driving said agitator during a washing operation and for spinning said clothes container for extracting water from the clothes therein,

and means affording access to said motor, and drive control mechanism comprising means accommodating the disconnection of said cabinet from said base, and

other means on said base plate and selectively operable for holding said cabinet in vertically spaced relation with respect to said base, to provide free access to said motor, drive mechanism and pump.

2. The automatic washing machine of claim 1, wherein said other means holding said cabinet in vertically spaced relation with respect to said base to afford access to said motor and drive mechanism comprises at least one fixed member projecting upwardly from said base plate and a movable member movably attached to said base plate for movement between a first position adjacent said base plate and a second cabinet supporting position outwardly of said base plate.

3. The automatic washing machine of claim 2, wherein said fixed member is operable to support the cabinet in elevated relation with respect to said base when the cabinet is off-center with respect to said tub and clothes container and said movable member is pivoted to said base plate and movable into position to have supporting engagement with said cabinet when said cabinet is in off-center relation with respect to said base.

4. The automatic washing machine of claim 3, wherein the tub has a projection thereon between said fixed and movable members, said projection abutting said cabinet when said cabinet is supported on said fixed and movable members.

5. The automatic washing machine of claim 3,

wherein the movable member is supported on said base plate for movement about a vertical axis into an extended position extending outwardly of said base plate, and a retracted position extending along adjacent said base plate, and

wherein spring and detent means are provided to hold said movable member in'its retracted and extended positions. 6. The automatic washing machine of claim 2, wherein two angularly spaced fixed members project upwardly from said base plate and are spaced to support said cabinet when said cabinet is rotated to be in off-center relation with respect to said clothes receptacle, and wherein the movable member is between said two members and is movable outwardly to have supporting engagement with said cabinet when said cabinet is rotated to be in off-center relation with respect to the center of said base. 7. The automatic washing machine of claim 2, including timer means mounted on said cabinet, electrical wires connecting said timer means with said motor, water hoses connected between said-pump and said cabinet, said wires and hoses having sufficient slack therein to accommodate lifting of said'cabinet to said elevated position without disconnecting said hoses and wires.

8. The automatic washing machine of claim 6, wherein the fixed support members projecting from said base plate are integral therewith and extend radially outwardly of said base plate and upwardly therefrom along the outside of angularly spaced walls of said cabinet when said cabinet is supported on said support members, and

wherein the movable member is pivoted to said base plate to extend outwardly therefrom and have supporting engagement with the underside of said cabinet in spaced relation with respect to said fixed support members.

9. The automatic washing machine of claim 1, wherein the other means comprises two fixed support members extending radially outwardly of said base plate for said tub and clothes container and spaced apart substantially and another member selectively operable for holding said cabinet'in vertically spaced relation with respect to said base is provided and spaced between said two fixed support members, and is pivotally mounted on said base plate for movement about a vertical axis and extends outwardly of said base plate for engagement beneath and along one side wall of the cabinet when said cabinet is supported on said support members and said other member.

10. The automatic washing machine of claim 9, wherein spring and detent means are provided for bolding said other member in its extended cabinet supporting position and in its retracted position relative to said support means for said tub and clothes container.

* a: :k a 

1. In an automatic washing machine, a base, a cabinet supported on said base and detachably secured thereto, a tub mounted within said cabinet, a clothes container supported within said tub, an agitator within said clothes container, a support mEans including a base plate supporting said tub, clothes container and agitator in vertically spaced relation with respect to said base, a motor, and drive control mechanism driven therefrom mounted between said support means and said base, said drive control mechanism connected for oscillatably driving said agitator during a washing operation and for spinning said clothes container for extracting water from the clothes therein, and means affording access to said motor, and drive control mechanism comprising means accommodating the disconnection of said cabinet from said base, and other means on said base plate and selectively operable for holding said cabinet in vertically spaced relation with respect to said base, to provide free access to said motor, drive mechanism and pump.
 2. The automatic washing machine of claim 1, wherein said other means holding said cabinet in vertically spaced relation with respect to said base to afford access to said motor and drive mechanism comprises at least one fixed member projecting upwardly from said base plate and a movable member movably attached to said base plate for movement between a first position adjacent said base plate and a second cabinet supporting position outwardly of said base plate.
 3. The automatic washing machine of claim 2, wherein said fixed member is operable to support the cabinet in elevated relation with respect to said base when the cabinet is off-center with respect to said tub and clothes container and said movable member is pivoted to said base plate and movable into position to have supporting engagement with said cabinet when said cabinet is in off-center relation with respect to said base.
 4. The automatic washing machine of claim 3, wherein the tub has a projection thereon between said fixed and movable members, said projection abutting said cabinet when said cabinet is supported on said fixed and movable members.
 5. The automatic washing machine of claim 3, wherein the movable member is supported on said base plate for movement about a vertical axis into an extended position extending outwardly of said base plate, and a retracted position extending along adjacent said base plate, and wherein spring and detent means are provided to hold said movable member in its retracted and extended positions.
 6. The automatic washing machine of claim 2, wherein two angularly spaced fixed members project upwardly from said base plate and are spaced to support said cabinet when said cabinet is rotated to be in off-center relation with respect to said clothes receptacle, and wherein the movable member is between said two members and is movable outwardly to have supporting engagement with said cabinet when said cabinet is rotated to be in off-center relation with respect to the center of said base.
 7. The automatic washing machine of claim 2, including timer means mounted on said cabinet, electrical wires connecting said timer means with said motor, water hoses connected between said pump and said cabinet, said wires and hoses having sufficient slack therein to accommodate lifting of said cabinet to said elevated position without disconnecting said hoses and wires.
 8. The automatic washing machine of claim 6, wherein the fixed support members projecting from said base plate are integral therewith and extend radially outwardly of said base plate and upwardly therefrom along the outside of angularly spaced walls of said cabinet when said cabinet is supported on said support members, and wherein the movable member is pivoted to said base plate to extend outwardly therefrom and have supporting engagement with the underside of said cabinet in spaced relation with respect to said fixed support members.
 9. The automatic washing machine of claim 1, wherein the other means comprises two fixed support members extending radially outwardly of said base plate for said tub and clothes container and spaced apart substantially 120* and another member selectively opeRable for holding said cabinet in vertically spaced relation with respect to said base is provided and spaced between said two fixed support members, and is pivotally mounted on said base plate for movement about a vertical axis and extends outwardly of said base plate for engagement beneath and along one side wall of the cabinet when said cabinet is supported on said support members and said other member.
 10. The automatic washing machine of claim 9, wherein spring and detent means are provided for holding said other member in its extended cabinet supporting position and in its retracted position relative to said support means for said tub and clothes container. 